Excerpts from the Potter Family Album
by quinn321
Summary: Harry spends a sleepless night at Ginny's bedside with nothing but his memories to comfort him. An older one shot.


The streets of London were hauntingly still as Harry Potter stared out into the night. The half moon reflected off the dirty windows across the street, making tricky shadows beneath the broken streetlights. He sighed, turning to face the darkened room. There, perfectly still on the bed, was Ginny. The grey light from outside seemed to make her face glow, and he found himself drawn to her bedside, silently sitting in the chair he had conjured earlier that night. She didn't stir as he reached to move her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. She seemed so at peace. If it weren't for the slight tightening of her facial muscles every so often, Harry might have been able to convince himself that she was simply taking a nap. He felt the muscles around his stomach twitch; adrenaline seemed to be pricking him all over his body. He glanced at the clock, it was 4:47. He sighed again, lifting the lid of the small trunk he'd set next to the chair.

_If I'm not going to sleep, at least I can get some work done._

He pulled out a pile of folders, full of parchment that had clearly been hastily stuffed into them. He blinked the fatigue from his eyes, preparing to make sense of what had been the clutter on his desk that morning. Taking a last look into the chest, just to be sure he hadn't left any folders, his eyes froze as they landed on brown leather. He reached in and laid their scrapbook on his lap, glancing with a smile at Ginny.

_Thanks, Gin. This is a much more meaningful way to spend this night. _

He gently turned over the cover, realizing that he hadn't seen it since Ginny had unwrapped it the morning after their wedding. He smiled at the first page, 'The Potter Family Album' written in Ginny's handwriting above a large picture. Squinting in the dark, Harry wasn't able to make it out. He glanced at his wife and realized it would take far more than a little light to wake her now.

"Lumos." Harry's wand lit, spilling light onto the page. His throat constricted. He watched himself stride into the Gryffindor common room as Ginny, still in her Quidditch robes, ran into the frame and threw her arms around him. Their first kiss played out before him. Moments after they left together, the scene began again. After watching it four times, he noticed a note taped below it.

_**Ginny,**_

_**When I developed this, I set it aside to give to you for Christmas.**_  
_**With everything that has happened, I almost changed my mind.**_  
_**But I know you, Gin. I know he's out there fighting like hell to**_  
_**make a world where people like the two of you can be happy.**_  
_**I hope this picture reminds you of happier times. They will come**_  
_**again. Keep your chin up, we will win this.**_

_**Happy Christmas,**_  
_**Colin**_

Harry stared at Colin's signature, emotions coursing over him. He glanced again at his wife.

_I had no idea about this. Maybe I'm too emotional to be looking at this right now. _

She let out a little snore, and Harry almost laughed.

_Nice, Gin. Thanks for the sympathy. _

Deciding to embrace bravery, he turned the page. **"VOLDEMORT DEFEATED!" **the front page of the _Daily Prophet_ declared. Harry shook his head, skimming the story. His eyes flicked to the paper's date: Sunday, May 3, 1998.

_Almost five years ago. Seems like so much more…_His eyes again settled on Ginny. _And so much less. _

The next few pages displayed pictures from the award ceremonies following the war, as well as funerals and memorials. A few more page turns revealed their graduation letters and N.E.W.T. scores, with pictures from their final year at Hogwarts scattered throughout. The next few pages had no pictures, just letters that Harry hadn't seen in almost four years.

**DATE: 1 July, 1999**

**APPLICANT NAME: Harry James Potter**

**We have considered your application based on your examinations and interviews;**  
**please note that we have determined the following.**

**On behalf of the British Auror Academy and the Ministry of Magic, we are pleased**  
**to offer you a place in our training program, for the year beginning 1 August, 1999.**  
**This is a three year program leading to certification as a fully accredited Auror.**  
**Your place in the program is subject to annual reconsideration based on satisfactory**  
**completion of the training program requirements.**

**As a member of our institution, you will be expected to satisfactorily perform all**  
**requirements of the training program as described in the Trainee Manual. The**  
**award of a certificate of satisfactory completion of the program is conditional upon**  
**meeting all program requirements at the time of award.**

**You will also be expected to follow Academy policies and procedures. The Academy**  
**and the Ministry of Magic reserve the right to modify these policies.**

**We look forward to your joining us. Your response of intent to attend is expected**  
**within two weeks, after which you will receive extensive orientation materials. I**  
**encourage you to familiarize yourself with this information.**

**Sincerely,**

**Auror Gawain Robards**  
**Interim Director, British Auror Academy**

Harry smiled at the next letter, brushing his fingers over the embossed parchment stationary stamped 'Office of the Minister of Magic'.

**_Harry,_**

_**I can't tell you how thrilled I was to hear that you'll be at the Academy this year. As**_  
_**you surely know, I have more respect for you than many seasoned Aurors. Between us,**_  
_**this includes the fine men and women currently running the program that you are now**_  
_**enrolled in. We're still in the process of restructuring both the Auror Department and**_  
_**the Academy.**_

_**Which brings me to the reason for this letter. I have a proposal for you. As a trainee,**_  
_**you will be in the perfect place to assess the quality and effectiveness of the Academy.**_  
_**I'd like you to be an advisor to me in this area. If you are interested, I would also ask**_  
_**that you apply your research to an assessment of the Auror Department, assisting in**_  
_**the development of a more functional structure.**_

_**I realize I'm asking a lot, and I ask that you only accept if this is something you would**_  
_**be interested in being a part of. Stop by my office this week and we'll discuss it.**_

_**Thank you Harry, and enjoy your last days of freedom!**_

_**Kingsley**_

Harry smiled, marveling at Ginny's forethought. This letter marked one of the milestones of his life, and he hadn't even wondered what had happened to it.

_Just one more reason that I couldn't live without you. _He took a moment to gaze at his wife, motionless on the bed, completely silent except for the deep hum of the life-monitoring charms.

Ginny's invitation to join the Holyhead Harpies was followed by several pages of magazine clippings scattered amongst pictures that captured her in action. Page by page, Harry's smile slowly returned.

The pictures from her nineteenth birthday made Harry pause. He watched himself standing sheepishly behind Ginny as she not-so-subtly flashed her new ring. The scene flipped and bounced, finally settling to show Molly's bottom half running into the frame to hug them, the camera forgotten. The next page displayed a clipping from _The Quibbler._

**Ginevra Weasley and Harry Potter**

**Arthur and Molly Weasley of Ottery St. Catchpole are pleased to announce the**  
**engagement of their daughter, Ginevra Molly Weasley, to Harry James Potter, son**  
**of James and Lily Potter.**

**Ginevra, Ginny to her friends and fans, graduated from Hogwarts School of**  
**Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1999. Upon graduation, she was immediately recruited**  
**to the Holyhead Harpies. She is currently a starting chaser for the team, already in**  
**the top five scorers in the league and leading the pack in assists. When asked if**  
**getting married meant hanging up her robes, she just winked and gave the following**  
**statement: "Let's just say that all discussions of when and in what manner I decide to**  
**hang up my robes will be taking place privately between Harry and me." Mr. Potter**  
**only blushed, presumably having nothing to add.**

**Harry has shouldered many titles, from the Boy-Who-Lived to the Chosen One,**  
**from Undesirable Number One to Savior of the Wizarding World. He graduated**  
**from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1999, a little over a year after**  
**defeating the dark wizard Voldemort. The following summer he enrolled at the**  
**British Auror Academy, scoring top marks in his class. He has recently completed**  
**his two year training course and is currently serving his apprentice year, after**  
**which he will be a certified Auror.**

**Harry & Ginny were engaged on August 11, 2000 and are planning a late December**  
**wedding next year. We at _The Quibbler_**** wish them all the happiness in the world.**

Harry flipped pages, watching another year of their lives flash past.

And then it was their wedding. The invitation and program were offset with pictures from the day. One held Harry's attention for several minutes; he watched Ginny step out of the Burrow and slowly walk past, beaming as her eyes locked onto someone behind the camera.

_Merlin, and she was smiling like that for me. _

He looked over at her, unmoving in the bed next to him. Brushing a hand across her cheek, he sighed again.

_We'll get through this. I know you're strong enough. Let's hope I am. _

Looking down, he realized that enough light was coming through the window that he no longer needed his wand. He checked the clock as he extinguished the light, it was 5:43.

Turning his attention back to the album, he flipped past several articles about cases he'd worked on, finally stopping as he hit the letter from St. Mungo's.

**27 July, 2002**

**OFFICIAL DOCUMENT**

**This document verifies that the tests performed on ****GINEVRA M POTTER  
****on the above date had the following results.**

**POSITIVE**

**Please note that an appointment has been made for follow up tests on**

**Monday, 11 November**** at ****9:00AM****.**

Harry swallowed, remembering his reaction when Ginny had shown him this. It had been the evening of his birthday. He hadn't even known she had gone to be tested.

**11 November, 2002**

**OFFICIAL DOCUMENT**

**This document verifies that the tests performed on ****GINEVRA M POTTER****  
****on the above date had the following results.**

**CBC — NORMAL  
VIRAL SCREEN — NEGATIVE  
IMMUNITY SCREEN — NORMAL  
FETUS IS MALE  
DUE DATE: 30 MARCH, 2003**

Ginny's sharp intake of breath made Harry jump to his feet, the album sliding to the floor. She moaned, and he reached to stroke her hair. Her eyes flew open and latched onto Harry as she took several calming breaths.

"Good morning, beautiful." She shot him a look of disbelief as she tried to sit up. "Stay down, let the potion finish wearing off before you move."

"Wisely spoken," said a tall healer as she entered the room. "You don't know how many witches fall right off the bed after sleeping through contractions. Let's see if you're any closer." She waved her wand over Ginny several times, then smiled at them. "Well, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, I'd say you're going to have a baby today."

Ginny let out a breath in relief. Even as she squeezed his hand in pain, she beamed at him. "Harry, he's coming. James is coming."


End file.
